How Gadgets And Electronics Can Hurt Young Children's Brains And Cause Lasting Damage

These days, we're surrounded with all kinds of electronic devices. For the most part, they make our life easier, but they can also pose a big risk to young children.

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What can we learn from this tech giant?

Did you know that Apple Founder, Steve Jobs, had some very strict rules when it came to screen time for his children? Even though his name is connected to the biggest tech revolution of our time, he also understood the importance of protecting little kids.

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In a 2011 interview to New York Times, he told reporter Nick Bilton that technology was limited in their home. So if Jobs, who was a tech giant, knew to keep screen time to a minimum, then we know he must have had a good reason.

How these devices affect babies and toddlers

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents were urged to prevent kids under the age of two from watching TV or other screens. Then, children between 2 and 5 years of age should not have a screen time longer thanan hour a day.

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The AAP adjusted this policy in 2016, stating that children under the age of 18 months should not be introduced to screens at all. They explained that, for children younger than 2, hands-on exploration and social interaction is very important to their development.

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When kids spend too much time staring at screens, they miss out on those interactions whish are so vital for them to build their cognitive, language, motor and socio-emotional skills.

These are things that children cannot learn from digital media. So, basically, children gain more by interacting with caregivers than they do from screens, the AAP explained.

Talking to kids improves their vocabulary

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In a 2014 study published in Science Daily, it was discovered that babies and toddlers who were exposed to screens at a very age had difficulty with verbal communication and vocabulary.

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Children at the age of three and younger were studied with the goal of finding out whther these digital devices bring them any benefits. It was discovered that, contrary to people's beliefs, infants and toddlers who were exposed and played "non-educational games" tested lower in verbal communication.

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While it may be almost impossible to keep screens away from kids completely, we should always ensure their screen time is monitored and limited. Children should also be encouraged to explore other non-screen-related activities, such as playing outside, colouring, etc.